Her Silver Fox
by DeviKittyWolfe
Summary: No memory? No problem to the Divine Dragon Venti. After saving three of the four Guardians Terra isn't so sure Venti is right, especially because she doesn't feel strong enough. But a little emotional support is coming. Rated M for sexual content and swearing.On Hiatus due to lack of creativity for story
1. Chapter 1

**Warning! This is based off of Rune Factory 4 but there is MAJOR deviations. If this bothers you do not continue. Otherwise have fun. Remember smut may be ahead.**

Plopping on the dirt between the rows of flowers Terra sighed heavily, her mind and heart not into the work she was doing at the moment. Her eyes went to the opening of her second field, her mind filled with worry for Venti. The Native Dragon had passed out after attempting to make her promise to save Leon, the first Guardian, even though she knew it would kill her. Looking at the ground Terra's eyes watered, tears threatening to spring up at the thought of losing her first friend in this town. Though everyone in town had made sure to make her feel welcome Venti had become a dear friend that she could tease and argue with. Knowing that friend was in pain and dying made it even harder to do what Venti had asked of her and Terra was sure no one else would want her following through with it either. Well almost no one. Doug, that selfish bastard, made sure to let Terra know the day she had found out about Venti that he would try to stop her cause he thought Venti killed his family. The bastard thought he was right and no amount of convincing would change his mind. Even though, because of that random chipsqueek, she had found a way to save everyone all at once she barely lived through her fight with the Dead Tree. She needed to become stronger and better if she was going to help everyone.

As the tears streamed down her face at the feeling of hopelessness that filled her two small silver blurs came through the flowers, startling Terra into wiping away the tears. Two foxes stood before her, their heads tilted as they approached her cautiously. She smiled slightly at the pair and offered a hand to them, sniffling some as she tried to look approachable to the vulpines. They slowly moved closer then one became braver and moved up to sniff then nip her fingertips. She smiled and let out a soft giggle then lifted her hand to gently pet the small creature as the other moved to nuzzle her side. Looking down at them she sighed heavily then looked up to the cloudy sky above her.

"I will save everyone... I just … I feel …. I need to be stronger. I need to be able to face whatever is to come." she murmured, more to herself than the pair that now had their heads on her lap. She smiled at them and scratched behind the ears of the one who had approached her first. "But to get stronger I need to train, farm and do everything I do everyday. It will be hard but I think I can do this. I hope I am right."

The pair looked up to her and let out a soft chuffing noise before nipping at her fingers softly. She giggled again and gently moved them from her lap with a sigh. "Thank you. Both of you. You made me smile and I needed that. Please come back again. I will need some support for a little while."

As if they understood her request the two foxes nodded then scampered off, making her smile again. Lifting her water pot and her sickle she set to work again, her spirits lifted slightly.

The pair of foxes that had haunted him for years entered his dreams, returning from checking on the Earthmate that Venti had told him about. He had no idea how Venti had been contacting him through his dreams, other than the fact that he could feel the Forest of Beginnings had grown over the tower he had been told to create runes in. He did know the foxes would never fully leave his side and that they were the best to gather information, as the pair were able to give him information directly rather than through speech. His dream changed as they came close, showing him a field of flowers being tended by a woman. At first he could not see her well but as the dream cleared he could see her perfectly and his breath caught in his throat.

The silvery green of the female's hair caught his attention first, the long locks pulled into pigtails that were secured by clasps of some sort at the end. A wiry headdress sat atop her head and bangs fell across her forehead. A smear of dirt marred her pale skin, the white dress she wore marked by dirt and bits of plants. As he watched the scene the girl collapsed to her knees, her breathing coming out almost as a pained whimper. Her head tilted to the entrance to the field, where in the dream he stood with the foxes. The emerald of her eyes were offset by long dark lashes, the gem like depths swimming with unshed tears and pain. His body instantly began moving forward, his first instinct to comfort the small female and protect her from whatever caused such pain. Just then dream copies of his foxes came forward, their movements slow and cautious as an animal's should be when confronting a human. He watched the scene play out, a smile crossing his lips as he watched her petting his pair of troublemakers followed by a frown caused by her words. Her trembling soft voice punched him in the gut, causing every protective instinct in him to roar forward to protect this frail woman, even from whatever she was planning.

Just as Leon was about to look away from the scene he heard her question, the note in her voice sounding almost pleading for comfort. His eyes shut as he heard the loneliness in her voice, an echoing loneliness beating at his breastbone. He smiled slightly as he saw the foxes nod then run off just as the dream ended leaving him feeling bereft, though the feeling threw him off guard. Looking down to the foxes he nodded slightly and smiled to himself. "So that's the Earthmate that is supposed to free me huh? She's kind of cute."

The air in the dream wavered as a vision of Venti appeared before him, the projection wavering yet nearly solid. He knew she would be watching when his foxes returned, her stories as of late not just of the town or herself but of the enchanting female he had just watched. Venti laughed, the sound weaker than it should have been but stronger than it had been only a few days before. "So you had to see her before she came to get you huh? Well that doesn't surprise me at all. You always were stubborn."

"I like to think it adds to my personality." He quipped to the dragon, his little half smile crossing lips as he looked at the Native dragon's vision, "However I am curious as to why she seems so pained. I mean you have been making it sound like things were fine in the town. What has changed that has the person whom you claim is the reason everything is getting even better so upset?"

Venti looked away from him, the first friend she ever made then made a shrugging motion, as if she had no clue. "I have no idea. Perhaps she feels a bit overwhelmed with all she is doing. Don't worry about it. Eventually she will come and free you and you can ask her yourself."

Leon narrowed his eyes a bit at the large dragon, knowing she was lying but unsure about what. Venti was always easy to read and he knew eventually she would come clean but till then he had to be patient. "Well I will keep sending my foxes to her. She needs some one who can offer a different support than what she is receiving. They seem to be good for her."

Venti startled at his words them laughed a bit, reminded by his actions of the way he once was. "Well if you must send those rascals make sure you choose end of the day. She... She doesn't sleep well. She lost her memory and has dreadful nightmares. Perhaps the pair can help her rest easier."

Leon nodded and turned away, noting the tiredness in Venti's voice and the wavering of the image. "Go rest Venti. I will be back soon and then we can talk. Till then I will watch over the Earthmate. Some needs to."

Venti laughed and faded away, leaving Leon alone in the blankness of his dreams once more. He looked at the foxes, their heads tilted to watch his face. "You heard Venti. Seems our little Earthmate needs your help. Visit her every afternoon and stay with her till she is about to wake. Then return and show me the memories."

The foxes did a little hop and yiff before running off, their actions causing a small laugh to leave him. Once they were gone he pulled the memory of her in the fields back up, creating a dream around the field of flowers and the small female. He didn't know why but he wanted to be able to see her once more before dreams of the past began again. As the dream started he closed his eyes and sighed, "Forgive me Maria."


	2. Chapter 2

Nearly a month later Terra stood at the Gate blocking the entrance to Leon Karnack, her dual swords in hand as she stared at the swirling mass before her. She had sent her silver wolf home, wanting to do what she needed to do without having to worry about others possibly getting trapped with her. Lifting the Rune Sphere that Doug had given her up to her eye level she glanced at the gate and sighed heavily. "Venti is gonna kill me if I muck this up... Probably everyone will. But I need to help him and Venti no matter what."

With these words she put away the rune sphere and charge forward with a cry, her swords slashing the gate with a whirlwind speed. Her body dodged the beasts the gate popped out, many of the moves she had learned helping her to catch them as she attacked the gate. Just as she broke the large gate a power seemed to suck at the area, seeming to call her forward. She froze then swallowed as she jumped forward, allowing the gate to pull her to the Forest of Beginnings.

As she landed she froze, her eyes nearly blinded by the white light that surrounded her body, glowing flowers floating around her as she slowly acclimated to the light. Taking a step forward Terra glanced around just as power filled her body. "Argh! What... This power..."

Her mind flooded with Amber's voice, the cute little butterfly girl speaking to an unknown person about becoming a Guardian. As the feeling of power flowing through her faded she straightened, her determination stronger after hearing such words. She walked forward, bumping into a couple groups of monsters that she beat easily before reaching another bright area. This time she was more prepared for the flow of energy surging through her body as her mind filled with Dylas' voice. She smiled a bit to herself, always getting a kick out of the gruff manner that Dylas had even though he gave away quite often that he cared more than he pretended to.

The next couple groups she fought fell quickly, though she was glad she had thought to buy food from Porcoline before she left town as her rune energy and health took a bit of a hit. Once she stepped into another white area she braced herself, now unburdened by the flow of power that surged into her small body, listening to Dolce and Pico arguing about Dolce's becoming a Guardian.

"They never change." She muttered under her breath, a small laugh leaving her as the memories left her. She moved forward, her grip renewed by hearing her friends talking about wanting to save Venti. "I will save Venti... and I will save everyone. I promise."

Finally, after more fighting she ended in another white area, this time hearing a new voice. The cocky tone made her smile to herself even as a small longing to see the face the voice was connected to bloomed within her. She shook off the feeling as she began forward only to freeze as he introduced himself to the Earthmate that had cast the spell on him. "Leon?... Looks like this place holds all of their memories... Don't worry Leon. I am coming. I will make sure your wish to save Venti comes true."

She stepped from the white area to see two large fox statues before her, one with red bands and one with blue. As they spoke she got a sense of familiarity from the pair and smiled once more, inwardly now as she lifted her head to look at the speaking statues. "I carry the hope of everyone!"

The statues glowed and there was a grinding noise as they looked directly at her with a strange look in their eyes. "Then show us thine power Earthmate."

The fight between her and the two statues didn't last long, as she knew from numerous battles to take out one then keep moving as you take out the other. Once she had beaten the pair they thanked her and told her to save Ventiswill and Leon. A small half smile crossed her lips before she nodded once. "I will. I will save them both. I promise."

Once she spoke the statues vanished showing stairs that would lead her into the tall tower. She once again lifted her head high and started down the stairs with the hope that she would be able to do this. As she stepped into the room at the end of the stairs she froze, seeing nothing in the room that looked like a monster. As she stepped to the center a roar was let out and in front of her appeared a figure. The floating creature looked vaguely like a fox, though bound in some way. Just before she could register what was happening it began to prepare a spell, the sound catching her attention and spurring her into motion.

As the battle ended Terra looked down to the form that appeared where the creature had fallen, her eyes widening as she spotted the fox ears. She reached to turn him over, hoping to wake him so that they could leave when the room shook violently. Her head turned to look around as she straighten, the shaking beginning to throw her off balance. She landed on one knee just as a bright flash blinded her momentarily, leaving her a bit out of sorts as her vision cleared. Glancing up she frowned, seeing the same white area that she had passed many time already. "What the...? Wait... Where's Leon?"

She spun to see the Guardian passed out still yet floating away from her. She started running, panicked by this new revelation. "No! Why is he floating away?"

She ran for a few moments then stopped, despair filling her as she stared at the form that seemed to stay just out of her reach. "I... I have to save him... but I need to grab him to even be able to use the Homing Ring to return home..."

She looked down then smiled bitterly as as she realized what she had to do to save both Venti and Leon. She looked at the homing ring then pulled the rune Sphere from her bag, She tossed both next to the male's body before looking up and taking a deep breath. "Aria!"


	3. Chapter 3

**If you got this far and saw all the mistakes I saw afterwards... I'm sorry. I made sure to check this one twice before I post.**

Leon woke with a familiar voice shouting a spell word that seemed oddly familiar as well. He rose to one knee to look around, disoriented and blurry eyed. He could barely see the form before him, though he some how knew he knew it well. "Huh... Who..?"

"I... I am an Earthmate, Leon." The form said, pulling the memories he had gotten to experience through his foxes to the forefront of his mind. Before he could speak she continued, still blurry to his eyes. "Leon... Can you tell Venti what happened here? And tell her... Thank you... for being my friend. It was fun..."

Leon's eyes widen as he heard the female's voice, his eyes regaining their clarity to stare at the teary emerald eyes he had only experienced in dreams till now. His eyes narrowed and he started to reach for her, his eyes on her teary eyed smile as she waved goodbye. "You..."

His eyes blinked as he appeared in the the main room of the tower that had held him for so long. His eyes looked down to the ground as the sphere she had tossed beside him suddenly vanished and the area filled with runes. Leon looked around him slowly before calling forth his escape spell, appearing in the Selphia Town Square to the sounds of cheers and a roaring voice talking. He moved quickly to the room as people began scattering to their daily lives, leaving him and a much older Venti standing before him. She looked at him and smiled only slightly before looking behind him expectantly. "Where...?"

"Leon Karnak had merge with the Forest of Beginnings Venti. She sacrificed herself to save me... and I assume you." Leon answered the half formed question, his eyes staring into hers. He hoped Venti had not be so cruel as to send that frail looking female to him as dangerous as it was, though so much time had passed he wasn't sure. The man watched as the hopeful look that was in Venti's eyes fade to be replaced by anger and inwardly he let out a sigh of relief. Living a life beside the Earthmate that had to free him through his dreams had made him more than a little attached to the feisty green eyed woman. Thinking that Venti had in anyway endangered her had made a slow simmer of anger boil inside his mind. Looking to the Native dragon he chuckled as she began ranting about how inconsiderate the little fool was. As Venti was about to leave he cleared his throat and smile. "Oh yeah... She told me to tell you thank you for being her friend. And that it was fun."

With that he went outside for some air, knowing as he heard the beating of Venti's large wings, that the Earthmate would be saved. His head lowered, his fan of peacock feathers rising to tap his shoulder. "That little fool. I hadn't even had a chance to meet her face to face and she risks her life for me... I will have to make sure I remind her at some point how foolish that was."

As Leon stood there a woman walked forward and smiled, the look bright and cheery for a afternoon covered in clouds. He raised an eyebrow as she waved, her happiness seeming a bit... naive even though he could easily place her as an adult of the community. "Hi there! I'm Lin Fa. You must be one of Terra's rescues."

_"Terra... So the vixen has a name..."_ he thought to himself as he nodded once. "If you refer to the green eyed girl who woke me then yes I suppose I am. I am Leon."

Lin Fa chuckled and patted his arm, the act surprising to him as her following words, "Well that must mean you don't have a place to stay. You can stay with me and my daughter Xiao Pai. I have the inn in town and I think I have a spare room you can use,"

Speechless, Leon followed the woman as she chattered away about the inn, shocked at how open she was. As they passed various members of the town each greeted him and was introduced to him by Lin Fa. Soon he was set in a room and had a minor grasp on the people in town, including the Earthmate. He chuckled to himself as he thought of the story of how she arrived into town, and all her exploits so far. He found her interesting to say the least, yet he was unnerved by how jealous he felt when males, including the other male Guardian Dylas, spoke of the tiny woman with such familiarity and warmth. Restlessly he walked back to the castle, walking straight into the "Dragon room" set up for Venti. He smiled a bit as he thought of how so many worshiped a dragon he knew growing up. The reverence many used when speaking of a childhood friend made him laugh inwardly, thinking Venti as the poor little girl turned princess. As he thought this he watched as Venti began lowering herself into the room, the peeks of a body on her neck telling him that the little Earthmate had been saved.

Relief swamped him but, as always, he hid it away, choosing instead to tease his friend and telling her that he was happy enough to see her alive still, then turned to the small female that saved him. His foxes ran forth in exuberant excitement, chuffing and jumping on her for attention. She knelt and petted them, the first warm happy smile he had seen on her face since the pair had began watching over her for him crossing her lips. The shock it sent through his body had him uncomfortable, almost on edge as he began speaking to her. "I should thank you too, Earthmate. Will you tell me your name?"

"Oh... I'm Terra." She answered, her smile friendly and warm. He smiled back at her, his smile speaking volumes of mischief as he thought of how much he actually knew of her but had not even learned her name until today. "All right then. I shall remember it. My apologies for troubling you. But... Thank you for keeping your promise."

"Don't thank me. My contribution here is insignificant. You should thank the other Guardians instead." She said, a small laugh entering her words as she smiled brightly at him. Once again he was at a loss from the feelings that came up as he saw her bright smile, no longer tinged by sadness. He steeled himself not to reach out and touch her, instead turning away with a smile on his lips. "I shall then. Now... I do not know how long I have been asleep but I feel weak. I think I shall rest for a bit."

Both the Native Dragon and the small Earthmate nodded before Leon turned and walked out, giving a small signal to the foxes as soon as he was out of the room to follow Terra. Though he was now in town and awake he could not just show up when ever she needed him as he wished to. Instead he would send his foxes and allow them to share the memories with him until he could be just a bit closer to her. That thought chilled him as he thought of the past and his promise. He sighed heavily and shook his head as he headed to the room at the inn, angered by his past and his promises. He tossed his fan on the bed as he walked into his room, his eyes staring vacantly out the window.

Centuries ago he had made a promise to marry a friend should she not cry any more. Even as a Dragon Priest he could have married her, and probably should have. But he hadn't. He thought the promise a small thing between friends, nothing to be taken seriously. And yet the day he was chosen to be Guardian he had seen her face. Tears swimming in her eyes, pain and loss filling Maria's depths, and then he had known that she hadn't thought the same as he had. She had believed it to the depths of her soul. And he had taken it away from her by becoming a Guardian, by leaving to save the country. He had been selfish and yet... and yet .. He smiled as he thought of the small woman who was probably napping or working her fields once again. Her bright smile and glinting emerald eyes. _"I won't marry, Maria... But is it so selfish to wish to steal even a few moments with her? I will keep my promise to you... I won't marry another. I just wish to be by her side... even for a while... until she can't stand that I can't give my all to her. Hmph... sounds more like I am still being selfish doesn't it? I wish to be with her knowing that one day she would have to choose between me and another... and my jealousy …. no... I may get jealous but I will allow her happiness … I have to."_

With that thought he turned away from his window, his fists clenching at his thoughts. Closing his eyes he reached for his fan and placed it on the bedside table. His body fell back on the bed with a soft thump and he closed his eyes with a heavy sigh. "No use thinking like that. After all, no one says she will want me anyways..."

Eyes fluttering open Terra let out a soft yawn, her arms stretching out to touch a soft furry body on her bed. She chuckled as she sat up to look at the fox that had obviously slept past the time for it to leave, the small creature yawning and looking up to her with a blinking glazed look. She laughed a bit and petted the creature's head, her head shaking as her eyes glinted with merriment. "If you wait I will carry you back to Leon before I go to work on the fields."

At the mention of Leon's name the vulpine's head lifted and it started looking around, it's expression seeming to be begging forgiveness for something. She laughed as she opened her closet and pulled out her blue dress. "He's not here. And after you and the other greeted me yesterday I think it's kind of obvious that you two are his foxes. You two are adorable though so I don't mind him sending you guys. It ….. it helps me, ya know?"

She felt a bit silly for talking to the animal as she dressed but as she looked to the furry ball on her bed that was watching her intently she got the feeling that it understood her. She brushed out her hair, pulling it into her typical pigtails, the motions helping her to calm her nerves a bit. She was planning on visiting Leon already but something about the tall male with fox ears made her somewhat nervous. She felt exposed when he watched her, almost like he knew about her crying when alone and such. She brushed the feeling away when he stared into her eyes as she introduced herself but still found it a bit disconcerting that he made her feel both safe and yet hunted all at once. She lifted the still sleepy animal into her arms, smiling gently at the sound of disappointment at being moved the fox made before heading out the back door. Cutting through her main field, she came out into the airway part of town. She nodded and greeted Both Lin Fa and Porco, the latter standing right out side her fields, before heading into the inn. Her footsteps slowed as she reached the stairs and she took a soft shuddery breath before walking up the stairs. As she turned around the banister she spotted Leon moving in the room to the left and smiled, unsure why seeing him still in town made her feel almost giddy. She walked up to Leon and smiled brightly, hiding her nervousness about being around him. "Good morning Leon. I think I found one of your fuzzy friends."

Leon turned to her, his bright blues eyes staring into hers before he glanced down at the silver fox curled against her chest. "Good morning …... Looks like you did find him. His mate came back this morning without him. I suppose he was too comfortable to want to move. I wonder why."

A blush crept up her cheeks as Leon looked into her eyes, a small smile playing across his lips as he lowered his voice for the last remark. She extended her arms to hand him the furry fox to him, the animal making a small noise that made Leon chuckle. Her took the fox and placed it on the bed next to the other one, which was already curled next to his pillow asleep. The pair curled around one another and sighed before nodding off again, leaving Leon's attention squarely on Terra. Her arms went behind her, her hands clasping, as she licked her lips nervously. "So ….looks like you had little issue finding a place to stay..."

Leon's gaze stayed on her face as she spoke, the urge to touch her, to calm her, strong within him. He knew that he made her nervous, though she was making a good attempt at hiding it. He nodded slowly, his own tongue slipping out to slowly lick across his lips. He moved closer, catching her scent as he inhaled as he moved within arm's reach of the woman that had haunted his dreams when he slept through the night. "Yes, Lin Fa and Xiao Pai have made sure I feel at home as well. It still feels as though a dream I may wake from suddenly. Though to wake from a dream with you would be a crime I am sure."

"Wha..?!" Terra replied, her eyes going wide even as her voice squeaked in surprise. He watched as a rosy blush climbed her pale cheeks, his head lowering so that his mouth was near her ear. "How cute you are when you turn such a rosy red. I do believe I will have the most fun messing with you."

The nearness of her head near him allowed him to take in her scent easily, the mix of some flower and the earth intoxicating to him. He forced himself to stand straight, enjoying the shy nervousness that had filled her face. _"Hmmm... seems she is just as affected by me as I am her... I am surprised... She seems so innocent. Has she had no man show her how much she affects him by getting as close as I have?"_

The thought of a man other than himself getting so close to Terra caused a strange sensation of anger and jealousy to slam into Leon, his skill at hiding his true thoughts finally a boon as he hid the reaction from the Earthmate. In front of him Terra shifted and bit her lip, nerves showing on her expressive face. "I...I should get going... I gotta work the fields and do my morning rounds. I will see you later Leon."

With that the girl practically ran out the door, glancing to him as she rounded the banister for the stairs. He bow to his waist as she looked to him, a smile playing on his lips as he watched her face get redder before she ran down the stairs. He looked to the foxes on his bed and chuckled softly. "I always knew you two were troublemakers."


	4. Chapter 4

**This was written when I was listening to music while playing and I decided I hated there was no dance festival for you to gain liking from. I loved the thought of Frey {Terra in my story} getting pulled into an event that had her dancing with the awesome Leon. Enjoy!**

Three months later Leon stood in the office of Arthur, the true prince of Norad, as he explained the idea of a dance to be held in the town square only days away. The younger man seemed a bit excited about the idea, as it was something himself, Margret and Terra had come up with to help everyone have a little bit of fun. The past month had been filled with many hardships, including the loss of Venti, a loss everyone seemed to feel deeply. The fact Terra had been the first to mention it actually struck Leon as a bit odd. Though he and his green eyed vixen had grown much closer since he had arrived she still seemed a bit overly aware of him and nervous. A dance would give him a chance to get close to her and she had to have realized such a thing when coming up with the idea.

"Ummm... Leon? Are you still listening?" Arthur's voice broke into his musings, causing the taller male to smile and shrug slightly. "Forgive me Arthur. Seems my thoughts have wondered away from the conversation and into what may happen during such an event. Seeing as our dearest little Earthmate tends to be a bit reclusive I do wonder what made her decide a dance was a good idea."

Arthur chuckled and pushed his glasses up, mirth shining bright in his eyes, "As I recall the original conversation, the idea came up when she overheard the other ladies claiming different festivals they would like to see. She doesn't want this to be a festival, per say. Instead she wants it to just be a small event that will allow everyone to have fun. I do believe she plans on match making, seeing as she has been speaking at length with many of the young ladies about us men."

Hearing this Leon offered up an inward groan, praying the woman that invaded his dreams and thoughts had not been thinking to place him with anyone other than herself. Just from watching her, and watching the memories his foxes brought back, he knew Terra had begun to believe she was the odd one out. Oddly he never saw memories that had her speaking with the other ladies, meaning she had been saving them for when his foxes were with him and not her. A clever move on her part, to be sure, but one that had him dreading the answer to the next question he gave to the smaller blonde male. "Really? How curious... And who has she matched with whom I do wonder?"

Arthur, oblivious to the small groan even Leon had caught in his own tone, chuckled and shook his head, "Some odd pairs actually, if one is to take everything the ladies have told me as of late as any proof. She claims that Dylas and Meg would be a good pair, myself and Xiao Pai, Vishnal and Clorica Doug and Amber, Dolce and Kiel and finally, and most oddly considering how close you and Terra seem to be to one another she has place you and Forte of all people together. In my own opinion she could be on to something when it comes to myself, Vishnal and Doug …. possibly even Dylas and Kiel. However much of the town, and all of the ladies, all agree with my view of you and Terra."

Leon chuckled, inwardly pleased so many in town could see his eyes were only on having her. While Forte was a bit of fun to mess with, especially because she took herself so utterly and completely seriously, Terra had won him over with her shy smiles and deep blushes. She wasn't so serious that she couldn't take a joke and even playfully joked with him and others often. Leon smiled mischievously as an idea popped into his head and he tilted his head to the side, his eyes dancing with mirth as he winked at Arthur. "I think I have an idea to make sure she participates and that will allow her to see that the rest of you are right about myself and her. Do you mind assisting me in gathering the ladies into a plot to have her be apart of the festivities?"

Arthur's eyes widened even as a large smile went across his face. He nodded once and winked at Leon, mischief clearly inspiring him to add himself into whatever it was Leon had come up with. "Of course Leon. If you will wait here I could get Meg now and have her gather all the other young ladies to assist us."

Leon nodded, moving to sit on Arthur's couch as he walked out of the room to find Margret, his smile growing slightly as he formulated the perfect plot. Promise to not marry or not, he would at least make Terra his even for a short time. Maria would just have to forgive him when he finally met her on the other side. Till then he wanted to steal some moments for himself with the little silvery green hair woman that had claimed much of his sleep since he had finally met her.

Four days later Terra stood inside Margret's house, wondering how in the world the other girls had managed to convince her to dress up and participate fully in the dance. She had been planning to stand back and allow the others to bond without her. She would have assisted Porcoline and Lin Fa with refreshments and allowed the others to have fun. Instead only four days before the event, everyone had suddenly ruined her plans. Arthur had came to her room to tell her that Blossom and Illuminata had decided to help Porcoline and Lin Fa. After he had left Meg had shown up and started on about how she needed new clothes for the dance. Within only a few hours she had been surrounded by the other girls in Meg's house, each one helping in some way to create the dress that was getting finishing touches now. And tonight, the night of a dance she had hoped would kill her longing for Leon, the other girls were working on her hair and makeup. Each one had her own chore, a term they used when explaining why each girl was doing something separate at the same time, to help her be prepared for the dance. All of the other girls had new clothes as well, though Meg had admitted she had went shopping for them. _"Everyone wants to you to feel pretty tonight Terra. Just let us do what we feel is best and be happy. That's all we really want for you."_

Terra sighed as she looked down then at the clock on the wall, checking the time. "Guys its almost time for it to start. We need to go or we will be late."

"All done!" each girl squealed before backing away and admiring their handiwork on Terra's outfit. Each of them headed for the door, Terra following behind with a large feeling of nervousness in her stomach. She had planned to make herself stop wanting to be with Leon through getting him and the other males in town with other women in town. Now she would be one of those that could be asked to dance and the thought made her nerves get worse. Each of the guys seemed to like all the girls nearly equally, and she had managed the first bit of matchmaking with everyone but Leon and Forte.. Both were stubborn and anytime that Terra even mentioned Forte being single to Leon he would brush the comment aside. He was the only one she had a feeling wouldn't allow her to match him with anyone, even herself. The last part of the thought made her pause at the stairs up to the square, a small smile crossing her lips. _"Maybe I will get lucky and he will just stand at the side and watch..."_

With that thought Terra took a deep breath and walked up the stairs, her fingers mentally crossed as she joined the event.

Leon watched as the girls came into the square, all giggling over something, and his stomach flipped as he watched for Terra. Meg had told him to trust in her and soon everything had gone according to plan. Everyone was willing to help him win over the stubborn little fool, the guys going as far as to promising to dance with the other girls to keep Terra from dancing with them. Just as that thought crosses his mind he spied the object of his desire appear, her hands clasped in front of her as she shyly walked into the square. For the first time he could not hide his facial reaction to seeing the small woman. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly as he watched the vision before him.

Her hands were encased in what appeared to be silken gloves, dyed a lavender color which matched the dress that clung just so on her frame. The top and under skirt were a lavender color with small gold embroidery decorating the soft looking cloth, the under skirt ending at the tiny woman's knees. The top skirt was a sheer see through purple skirt, slightly darker than the rest of the cloth yet some how matching into the theme. Her usual pigtails were pulled back into two separate braids that met halfway down into a solid braid. The braids had flowers of various kinds braided within the strands and her typical silver headdress had been replaced with a gold one that stood out against her hair.

Without realizing he was moving towards her he found himself dodging the other couples, each already talking and getting ready for when the music began. Once he reached her he had managed to school his features so that he only showed his small smile, his eyes running over her again and again. His imagination ran wild and he was glad he had chosen to wear something regal yet loose as his eyes finally met hers. He could see her nerves written on her expressive face, the look causing an urge to cup her cheek hard to resist. He cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow, letting her wonder what he was thinking for a moment before he heard the band beginning to tune up. "You look amazing Terra. I have to wonder if you meant to make every man in the area forget to watch his footing when you pass by."

Terra's eyes widen, a blush climbing her alabaster skin at his words. The surprise on her face made him smile and hold out his hand as the music for the evening began, his lanky body bowing ever so slightly at the waist as his ears twitched, the only sign of nervousness he gave before he spoke, "Will you be so kind as to allow me a dance with you?"


	5. Chapter 5

**{So I really suck at writing about dancing but I feel like I can't write further on any better without the dance so... Excuse this if it sucks. I really have had a bad case of writer's block. Also its kind of short cause I need to think out how he is gonna react and if I want him to attempt playfulness or actually get mad. Feel free to review and tell me how you think he should.}**

Terra's eyes widen as she watched the tall male bend at his waist, his hand extended to her in a almost regal fashion. Her emerald depths look up and into his turquoise ones, her eyes searching for an answer to a question she wasn't sure she knew. Licking her lips she put her gloved hand into his large one, part of her caught off guard when a genuine smile crossed his lips before he raised her hand to place a chaste kiss to the appendage. His slender frame lifted from its bow, his eyes not leaving her face as he turned and guided her to the area sectioned off as a dance floor of sorts. A shiver ran through Terra's spine as they reached a spot that was less inhabited by the other couples and was spun into him with a deft movement on his part. A soft gasp sounds from her chest as she finds herself against his taller frame, her head tilting up to find him staring down at her with a soft look in his eyes.

"You always seem to be too busy for me little Terra. Why is that?" He asked as he guided her body through the rhythm of the dance. One of his hands was clasped firmly on her side, though she could feel the long digits trembling through the thin material between their flesh. A small shiver runs through her, the soft tone of his voice sounding husky yet not angry at her for her attempts at keeping them a part. Of course she had known he would eventually notice that she had been trying to distance herself from everyone, especially him, but she was sure she had been less noticeable than that. She sighs softly, her hand clasped in his giving his appendage a soft squeeze. "I did it because I know I failed everyone, even Venti. And if I manage to find a way to bring her home there is no promise I will make it back. I am the odd one out and I feel it is better for everyone if they find someone for themselves and try to forget that I am here until I manage something."

She gasps once again as she feels his hands tighten on her at her words, his face finally showing something other than the usual indifference or small teasing smirk. A mask of sadness and anger slid over his face, gone almost as quickly as it had appeared. Somehow she knew he hadn't hid it from her but from the others around them, not wanting them to know what she had claimed about herself. Silence came between the pair, though she could see he was thinking of something. Just before she managed to get a question at his thoughts formed he spun her and carefully began dancing her to the town entrance. Her eyes widen when she realized where he was leading her, part of her wanting to pull away even as curiosity at the change in his actions kept her within his arms.


End file.
